This invention relates to a combined luggage rack and concealable light for use on the roof of a vehicle.
Luggage racks are commonly known in the prior art, and positioned on the roofs of vehicles to allow storage of items while protecting the surface of the vehicles. Prior art luggage racks typically include two longitudinally spaced rack members which support items to be transported on the vehicle.
Roof-mountable lamps are also available for off-road use. Several states prohibit the use of such lamps for on-road use, and may even require that the lamps be covered when used on a highway. This is inconvenient since most off-road vehicles are also used for on-road purposes. Further, the lamps may be damaged or broken during on-road use.
In response to this problem the prior art has developed lights which are concealable within structure on the roof of a vehicle. One example of such a prior art system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,014, in which a pair of lights are incorporated into a roof spoiler. A similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,665. While these patented devices have proven successful in overcoming the limitations in the prior art, it is still desirable to improve the applications and locations where concealable lamps may be mounted. Further, it is desirable to simplify and improve the structure for moving the lamps between the concealed and use positions.